External panel members of automobiles, boats, airplanes and the like are coated with one or more layers of paint to protect the underlying structure from environmental effects such as corrosion, oxidation and solar radiation. The protective paint coating may also provide a decorative appearance. Surface deterioration due to such long term causes may be corrected by sanding away the old finish and applying a new protective and decorative coating.
Such long term causes take effect gradually, and if the vehicle receives appropriate care with regular washing and waxing, the protective and decorative effects of the paint finish may last substantially the lifetime of the vehicle. However, the paint finish may be scratched or chipped during regular use of the vehicle as a result of flying rocks, bumping, or vandalism.
Quite frequently, when such paint finish damage occurs, there is no damage sustained by the underlying structure. However, the presence of one or more such damage areas may cause a disproportionate reduction in the resale value of the vehicle. Conventional repair of such damaged areas is so time consuming and the quality of the restoration so unpredictable that restoration of a limited area is impractical. Moreover, complete restoration of an otherwise acceptable paint finish is not warranted because of the cost.